London, UK – At just 30 years old, professional bodybuilder Joey Farrell was diagnosed with heart failure—a condition typically associated with older individuals with a history of smoking and excessive drinking.
Yet despite the life-threatening warning, Farrell continues to use anabolic steroids for “the sake of his career,” highlighting a dangerous trend within the bodybuilding community.
Farrell, now 31, first started using steroids at age 20 and began injecting them a year later as he pursued professional bodybuilding.
However, in January 2023, routine blood tests revealed alarming results. Doctors were “dumbfounded” by his condition, diagnosing him with steroid-induced dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease that enlarges and weakens the heart, making it difficult to pump blood efficiently.
“The results were really, really bad,” Farrell admitted. “My troponin levels, which is a heart attack marker, were extremely high.”
He described the experience as a “dark” time, believing his bodybuilding career was over. Yet, just 16 weeks later, against medical advice, Farrell was back competing—though he claims to have reduced his steroid intake.
“I Don’t Want Others to Follow My Example”
Despite his continued use, Farrell acknowledges the risks associated with steroid abuse and warns others not to take the same path. “I accept that I sound contradictory,” he admitted. “But I wouldn’t advise anyone to start using them.”
His case is far from isolated. Former Love Island contestant Tom Powell, another steroid user, has spoken openly about the side effects, revealing he had to undergo surgery to remove excess breast tissue—a common side effect of prolonged steroid use. Powell, like Farrell, has urged people to stay away from the drugs entirely.
The Growing Public Health Concern
There is no official data on how many people in the UK take anabolic steroids, but estimates suggest that around 500,000 individuals use them, either for bodybuilding, aesthetics, or performance enhancement. Seizures of anabolic steroids increased by 26% last year to 995,830 doses, with most intercepted at the UK border.
A professor specializing in steroid abuse has called for regional centres of excellence to address the growing public health crisis.
Currently, many general practitioners (GPs) are not trained in dealing with steroid-related health complications, leaving users without proper medical guidance.
What Are Anabolic Steroids?
Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances designed to mimic the male hormone testosterone.
They are classified as prescription-only Class C drugs, meaning they can only be used legally with medical advice. However, possession for personal use is not an offence.
Selling, supplying, or even giving them to friends is illegal and can carry a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
The “Bro Science” Dilemma
Because there is no official medical research or guidance on reducing the risks of steroid use, many bodybuilders rely on anecdotal advice from fellow users—a practice known as “bro science.”
This unverified information often leads to dangerous experimentation with different compounds, increasing health risks.
With cases like Farrell’s highlighting the severe consequences of steroid abuse, medical experts continue to warn against their use, stressing the need for proper education and intervention to combat the growing crisis.